Rowing appliance.



No. 895,863. l PATENTED AUG. l1, 1908. W.. R'JAMES & W. T'. BEACON.

ROWING APPLIANGE.

' APPLIGATIoN FILED DEU. zo', 1907.

, ."2 i Hymro A 770/?NE Y S To all 'whom 'it may concern:

j UNITED srArEs PA'rEr-a oEEIoE.

WILLIAM FRANCIS JAMES AND WILLIAM THOMAS DEAGON, OF VELASCO, TEXAS.

ROWING- APPLIANCE.

'- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

- Application led December 20, 1907. Serial No. 407,389.

Be it know-n that We, WILLIAM FRANCIS JAMES and WILLIAM THOMAS DEAcoN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Velasco,.in the county of Brazoria and State of Texas, have invented` a new and Improved. Iowing Appliance, of which the following is. a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is animprovement in rowing appliances for row-boats, and is of the character which embodies oars each made in two sections pivo'ted together, and so sup ported that when the oars are ulled, the handles and blades thereofmove In the same direction, whereby the operator' faces the bow in propelling the boat and is thus enabled to observe the direction of travel.

The invention resides in certain special features of construction and combination of parts as will be hereinafter particularly described and claimed. f.

Reference is to be had to the accompany-- ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan of a row-boat having our improved'propelling means applied thereto, showing the sections of one of the oars in alinement and in full lines at one side of the boat, and the sections of the other oar at the opposite side of the boat in dotted outline and in a posit ion when the oar is at the end of the stroke; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through one of the oars, on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow.

For convenience of description only one oar and the means for applying it to the boat, will be described, it being understood that the opposite oar is of the same construction.

In the gunwale of the boat is revolubly mounted an oar-lock 5, and at each side thereof are attached the free ends of outwardlyconverging connecting-arms, forming a bracket 6, the connection between the bracket and the boat being preferably effected by providing wood screws, bolts or other like devices 7, which pass through the apertured extremities of the bracket arms; the bolts projecting upwardly from the gunwale and having the heads thereof arranged slightly above the top faces of the arms, as shown in Fig. 3. The apertures in the arms from the bracket by a` cross-pin `or otherequivalent device 9;

Through the oar-locks 5fand 8 pass the oar, made in two sections, an outer section 10 and an inner section 1l, the said sections being pivotally connected together between the oar-locks to swing ina lateral direction. This connection between the two sections of the oar ismade by riveting or otherwise securing the o posed ends of the oar sections in metal sockets 12 which have overlapping projecting portions 13, through which a pivotbolt 14' asses. The sockets l2 are of such length t at when connected together by the pivot-pin or bolt they will pass through the oar-locks and thus receive the wear. The inner socket l2 is connected with the oarlock 5 by a pin or bolt 15, the same being arn ranged at substantially right-angles to the shank of the oar-lock, thus adapting the oar to be swung in a vertical plane. This oon- Y struction of the oar and its ap lication to the boat causes the blades of t e oars, when pulled, to travel in the same direction as the handles, which makes it possible for the oarsman to face the bow while rowing in the usual manner, and is thereby enabled to observe the direction of the boats travel. The limited pivotal or rocking movement of the brackets permits of the oars being dipped into and out of the water the same as in the ordinary rowing movement. f

The apertures of the brackets 6, through which the bolts 7 pass, will preferably be of .such size as to freely pass over the heads of these bolts, whereby the entire mechanism, with the exception of the bolts 7, may be bodily lifted from the boat if desired to remove the oars. This construction obviously enables the oars to be applied and removed with despatch.

The appliance as shown and described while being the preferred manner of carrying out our invention, may nevertheless be modified in particulars within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a rowing appliance for row-boats, a bracket consisting of outwardly-converging arms connected together and having means connecting the free ends thereof to the boat, permitting of a limited swinging movement of the bracket vertically, an oar-lock supported in the connecting ortions of said arms, an oar-lock revolub y supported by the boat between said arms, and an oar passing through the oar-locks, composed of two sections pivoted together between said locks, adapting the sections of the oar to swing laterally.

2. In a rowing appliance for row-boats, devices projecting upwardly from the gunwale of the boat and having heads, a bracket having apertures adapted to pass over said heads and have a limited rocking movement thereunder, an oar-lock revolubly mounted on the outer portion of the bracket, an oar-lock revolubly supported on the boat, and an oar passing through said oar-locks, composed of two sections pivoted together between said locks.

3. In a rowing appliance for row-boats, a

boat having heads, a bracket having a limited rocking movement on the bodies of said bolts under said heads, and an oar composed of two sections pivoted together to swing laterally, one of said sections having a revoluble connection with the bracket and the other of said sections having a revoluble connection with the boat.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM FRANCIS JAMES. I/VILLIAM THOMAS DEACON.

` Vitnesses:

E. P. HOEFLE, LoUIs MoHR. 

